INTO THE STATE SENATE CHAMBER - WHILE ON THE SENATE FLOOR THE DEBATE GOES ON AT THIS HOUR OVER WISCONSIN'S TWO-YEAR BUDGET. AND WISN-12 NEWS KENT WAINSCOTT REPORTS FROM MADISON... THE FOCUS, BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CHAMBER, HAS BEEN ON SOME HOT- BUTTON ISSUES. HOURS OF DEBATE - DOZENS OF AMENDMENTS, ON SEVERAL CONTROVERSIAL ELEMENTS IN THIS BUDGET -- ALL INTERRUPTED BRIEFLY BY A LOUD DISTURBANCE. THIS WAS THE SCENE SHORTLY AFTER TWO P-M WHEN A FEW DOZENS PROTESTORS STORMED THE DOORS OF THE SENATE. A FEW WERE HANDCUFFED AND REMOVED.. THE OTHERS CHANTED IN PROTEST OF THE STATE BUDGET, AND THEN LEFT. ALL THE WHILE, DEBATE CONTINUED ON THE FLOOR CONTINUED, ALMOST WITHOUT A PAUSE. EVEN BEFORE THEY TOOK TO THE FLOOR, SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER CHRIS LARSON LAID OUT A WELCOME MAT TO ENCOURAGE REPUBLICANS TO JOIN DEMOCRATS IN MAKING SOME CHANGES TO THE BUDGET. AND THAT INVITATION ECOMPASSED THREE DOZEN AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY DEMOCRATS - CALLING FOR CHANGES THAT INCLUDE A STOP TO THE STATEWIDE EXPANSION OF SCHOOL CHOICE VOUCHERS - ACCEPTING FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR MEDICAID EXPANSION - AND BLOCK A BAN ON RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS. BUT THE REPUBLICAN CHAIR OF THE BUDGET-WRITING COMMITTEE, SAYS THE BUDGET PLAN WITH ITS 650-MILLION DOLLAR INCOME TAX CUT, ENCOURAGES JOB GROWTH AND BUILDS ON GOOD ECONOMIC POLICY. THE LENGTHY DEBATE WAS A CONTRAST TO THE ASSEMBLY, WHERE DEMOCRATS DIDN'T INTRODUCE A SINGLE AMENDMENT. PARTY LEADERS DECIDED THE SENATE, WHERE THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE TO WIN OVER TWO GOP VOTES, IS WHERE THEY WOULD PUSH FOR CHANGES. ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE COME UP FOR A VOTE SO FAR, WERE DEFEATED. WE'LL HAVE FULL COVERAGE OF THE SENATE BUDGET DEBATE AS IT CONTINUES, TONIGHT ON 12 NEWS AT TEN.